Japanese Mountaineering Cross Cultural Background
In 1982, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) held its 50th Anniversary General Assembly in Kathmandu, at the foot of the Himalayas,
The importance of nature conservation was discussed, and the "Kathmandu Declaration" was issued to strengthen activities at the global level.
When the Himalaya began to implement specific activities, a wave of international exchange projects naturally swept over Japan as well.
1986 The International Alpinist Symposium
1991 The International Symposium on the Natural Environment
Japan's first Sport Climbing World Cup in Tokyo
1992 UIAA General Assembly in Matsumoto
1993 Asian Gakujin Congress in Tokyo.
2002 International Mountain Year
2007 UIAA General Assembly in Matsumoto
2014 International Mountain Peace Festival in Hiroshima
In between these events, UAAA held its board meetings and General Assembly in Japan and carried over to this International Mountain Peace Festival.
International Climbing and Mountaineering Federations
UIAA
The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) was founded on August 27, 1932 in Chamonix, France. Starting out as a friendship organisation, the UIAA has developed into a lobby for exchanges and information exchange among the world's mountaineering community.
The Japanese Alpine Club (JAC) joined UIAA introduced by German Alpine Club in 1968, several decades later, the Japan Mountaineering Association (JMA) was approved as an incorporated association and began to play the role of a mountain administrative organisation for the Japanese mountaineering community.
The JAC and the JMA agreed that the JMA should be the appropriate contact point for the international mountaineering community in Japan, and the JMA entrusted the Japan Mountaineering Association with membership in the UIAA.
Since 2020, JMA reformed as JMSCA which is Japan Mountaineering and Sports Climbing Association.
Member countries:
70 countries, 94 mountaineering organizations
Union of Asian Alpine Association
UAAA
The Union of Asian Alpine Association (UAAA) was founded on November 4, 1994 at the inaugural General Assembly in Incheon, Korea. The idea for the UAAA came from the 1992 General Assembly of the UIAA held in Matsumoto, Japan, which was well attended by Asian countries, and a proposal was made to create an Asian Alpine Federation, with Japan playing a central role. Even though Kazuo Saito, the president of the JMA was opposed establish the UAAA as he said, "There is nothing to be learned from Asia..." Suddenly, the Korean Alpine Federation sent an invitation to the Union of Asian Alpine Association's launching meeting, and as a member of the UIAA, several members of the JMA, including President Saito, attended the meeting. At the overwhelming request of the Asian countries, Mr. Saito, President of the Japan Alpine Association, started as the first President of the UAAA. The number of member countries is said to be around 15, but there are many sport climbing groups in developing countries, and it is said that there are some difficulties in balancing activities as a mountaineering group.
Member countries:
13 countries, 18 mountaineering organizations
